Whence leadership?

The closing essay in this week's Chronicle was about how academia might have lessons to learn from the military about cultivating leadership; this after a rigorous outing on their ropes course. Perhaps we do also.

Of leadership skills in the curriculum the author wrote, "Where it is part of what we teach, it does not get out of the classroom much, and the challenge is to connect the theoretical to the practical. We can teach leadership theory from books and lectures, but it is hard to evaluate leadership qualities on examinations and papers. So, on many campuses, leadership is a side dish, not the main course."

Here is what he witnessed happening in the ranks :

"There are feedback loops and opportunities to track and improve one's performance. Self-assessment and peer assessment are built into the process. And attention is paid to different dimensions of leadership—the ability to plan ahead, to problem-solve "on the fly," to motivate and persuade others of a course of action, to delegate responsibility, and to direct triage in a stressful situation. Those skills are all relevant in military situations, of course, but they translate to other environments as well."

We need to create these opportunities also.